Let’s Hit The Road To Omnichannel Success

Walmart has aggressively expanded the reach of the Walmart Pay option on its mobile app, making it newly available in more than 1,200 stores in states reaching from New England to the Pacific Coast. The retailer had first introduced Walmart Pay in December 2015. Stores in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas were added in May 2016, with Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia joining the roster earlier in June.

This rapid rollout by a powerhouse retailer could have an impact not just on Walmart’s shoppers but on mobile payments in general, which have evoked high levels of consumer interest but less-than-impressive actual usage. Only 18% of North Americans used their mobile phones to make a payment at least once a week, according to a 2015 survey from Accenture.

Nordstrom’s Trunk Club business seems to be bursting at the seams. Due to significant growth since the retailer first acquired the personal stylist company for $350 million in stock in 2014, Nordstrom will be closing its dedicated Trunk Club fulfillment center on Goose Island in Chicago and integrating operations into its own fulfillment and distribution network.

After 35 years working at a business carrying his family’s name, Tim Belk will step down as CEO of department store chain Belk Inc. on July 5, 2016. Former Hot Topic CEO Lisa Harper will take on the CEO role, and Belk will continue to serve on the retailer’s board of directors.

Harper was CEO of Hot Topic from 2011 through 2016. From 2001 to 2006 she served as CEO of Gymboree Corp., and she has held merchandising and design positions with a number of apparel retailers during her career.

Nike, long a dominant brand in the footwear and activewear industries, has hit a bit of a bumpy road in 2016. As competitors such as Under Armour and Adidas keep Nike on its toes and sporting goods retailers shutter their operations, the brand’s stock has tumbled more than 10% since the start of the year, marking its worst first half Wall Street performance since 2001 when it dropped nearly 25%.

It’s never too early to look ahead when considering future global strategies. That said, 2030 could be a very good year for retailing in emerging markets. But it could just as easily be a disastrously bad year — with a difference of $5.5 trillion between the most optimistic and pessimistic forecasts.

Retailers, particularly the growing number with ambitions for global expansion, recognize the importance of emerging markets in regions including sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America. Both long-term trends (e.g. climate change) and short-term political shocks (such as the UK’s decision to “Brexit” the European Union) will affect retailers’ ability to reach the large numbers of people in these markets who will be hungry for consumer goods and services.

July 4 is Independence Day, but independent retailers have an opportunity to celebrate all month. This July marks the return of Independent Retailer Month, an annual national movement that aims to connect consumers and communities to local independent retailers.